Psychology of Prophecy [1 ed.] 9781593337438, 1593337434

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Psychology of Prophecy

Psychology of Prophecy

A Study of the Prophetic Mind as Manifested by the Ancient Hebrew Prophets

Jacob H. Kaplan

1 gorgias press 2009

Gorgias Press LLC, 180 Centennial Ave., Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA www.gorgiaspress.com Copyright © 2009 by Gorgias Press LLC

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Pan-American

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Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC. 2009

1 ISBN 978-1-59333-743-8

Printed in the United States of America

TO

MY PARENTS THIS,

T H E F I R S T F R U I T O F MY LABORS IS

DEDICATED

This book was originally presented as a thesis through Prof. D . E. Phillips to the faculty of the University of Denver in partial fulfilment of the Ph.D. degree. A n extract from Parts I I and I I I appeared in President G . Stanley Hall's " American Journal of Religious Psychology and Education " (Jan.-June, 1907) and has received appreciative comment from a number of scholars. A n excellent review of the magazine article appeared in the Expository Times of Aberdeen, Scotland (September, 1 9 0 7 ) , in which the reviewer refers to the Psychology of Prophecy as introducing a new era into the interpretation of the Old Testament. T h e author himself refrains from expressing quite so high an appreciation of his own work, but believes with Dr. G . Stanley Hall, who read the entire work before publishing the shorter article, that " it throws valuable light on a subject that needs much light." T h e author is indebted for the greater part of the Bibliography to the late D r . William Rainey Harper, president of T h e University of Chicago. Many of the books suggested by D r . Harper the author was unable to find either in the libraries visited or through book agents, but feeling nevertheless that these are important for a bibliography, his friend, M r . M a x N . Fleischer, of Collingdale, Penna., was kind enough to spend several weeks in the library of the University of Pennsylvania consulting the catalogues of the British Museum, of the National French Library, of the Astor Library of New York, of the Imperial Library of Calcutta and many other catalogues, in order to verify the titles, authors and publishers listed in the Bibliography. T h e author takes this opportunity of expressing his sincere appreciation for the valuable services rendered him by his friend M r . Fleischer both in the matter of the Bibliography and the patient and thorough reading of the proof.

vii

PREFACE So f a r as I know a Psychology of Prophecy has not yet been written. The present attempt at presenting Prophecy from a psychological standpoint can be little more than an outline of how such a study might be pursued, an analysis only, as it were, of the problem and an indication in what direction the answer may be looked for. Every serious student of Prophecy will accept the fact, I believe, that the Prophets announce the W o r d of God. The question arises, however: How is this W o r d of God communicated? In what way does the Prophet become conscious of his Prophecy? Is it primarily an objective or a subjective process? If objective, how does it take place? If subjective, how does the mind proceed? Comparatively simple would be the answer, if Prophecy were an objective process, that is if the Prophet repeated verbatim or nearly so the words he hears God speak, let us say, like a child repeating the words he hears from his parent or teacher, or like a parrot the words dropped within his hearing. It seems to me that even the strictest literalist will shudder at presenting the problem in so naked an aspect. " Not quite so simple," he will exclaim. And yet it is quite so simple, if God is anthropomorphic and speaks like man. Is Prophecy, then, a subjective process, that is a process taking place primarily in the soul of m a n ? If so, it must be explicable on psychological principles. It will be shown in this book that Prophecy is entirely a subjective process, one taking place in evolution, and so closely related to and connected with Jewish History ix

X

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY

that without a knowledge of the latter and a thorough understanding of Jewish religious evolution one cannot hope to hold any intelligent view of the mind-processes of the Prophet. In order, however, not to divert too much attention f r o m the main issue, which is the psychology of prophetic activity, a knowledge of Jewish History and Religious Evolution is taken for granted and only such subjects as will help to elucidate the psychology are touched upon. Light will be thrown upon T h e Psychology of Prophecy by an examination of the word, Prophet, Nabi, and an investigation of the popular conceptions of the office of Nabi, believing with Spencer that there is a soul of truth in all things erroneous. T h e miracles, supposed or real, ascribed to prophetic activity will then be examined and brought into relation with the prophet's power, and finally the Prophet will be considered in relation to other men of religious and spiritual professions, and it will be seen that the prophet is the national type of the H e b r e w genius. I n P a r t II, f r o m the results of part one, the prophet's orientation will be found, and this, it will appear, agrees with what a history of prophetism reveals, and finally the distinctive characteristics of a prophetic psychology will be found, and these distinctive prophetic elements will be investigated and psychologically explained in P a r t I I I . F r o m the investigations of P a r t s I and I I , and f r o m the psychological explanations of P a r t I I I it will appear that prophetic phenomena are subjective and human, and, in one phase or another, appear in exceptional individuals in all parts of the world.

TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE:

PART CHAPTER CHAPTER

PAGE

T H E PROBLEM STATED AND POINT OF VIEW I N D I C A T E D . . .

I. II.

I.

ix

W H A T IS A PROPHET?

ORIGIN OF THE WORD PROPHET, NABI

I

POPULAR CONCEPTIONS OF THE HEBREW P R O P H E T S . . .

9

Christian Conception Conception of Prophet as Wonder-worker Conception of Prophet as Predictor Conception of Prophet, (a) as Preacher and Teacher of Ethics, (b) as Statesman (E) Summary: In Every Error a Grain of Truth

10 16 23

(A) (B) (C) (D)

CHAPTER

III.

MIRACLES OR SUPERNATURAL PHYSICS.

(A) Nothing gained from Theological and Philosophical Discussion of God's power to break His Laws (B) Empiric or Scientific Knowledge of value here (C) Scientific Basis in favor of Miracles. The Objection (D) Explanation in False Historic Perspective (E) Residue of Prophetic Miracles, How Explained? CHAPTER

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

IV.

Priest Diviner Poet Genius Great Men

PART I.

CHAPTER

II.

CHAPTER

III.

II.

49 53 60 67 72

PROPHETIC

GENIUS.

W H A T K I N D OF G E N I U S IS A PROPHET? THE

PART I.

74

CONCLUSIONS FROM THE HISTORY OF PROPHECY DISTINCTIVE

CHARACTERISTICS

OF

PSYCHOLOGY

CHAPTER

36 4° 41 41 45

T H E PROPHET IN RELATION TO OTHER PROFESSIONS.

Prophet and Prophet and Prophet and Prophet and Similarity of

CHAPTER

27 35

78

PROPHETIC 81

III.

PROPHETIC

PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY. CALL

(A) Premonition the Starting Point (B) The Facts as Presented by the Prophets xi

83

83 83

xii

CONTENTS PAGE

(C) Psychology of Prophetic Call 1. Driver and Bertholet 3. Preparation for Prophetic Call 3. Prophetic Temperament 4. My Own Experience 5. Smend and Buttenwieser on Premonition 6. Schwartzkopff's Objections CHAPTER

II.

PREMONITION, PRESCIENCE AND PREDICTION

1. Evidence from Old Testament and Other Sources 2. Evidence from Modern Lift 3. Psychology of Premonition CHAPTER

III.

REVELATION.

T H E WORD OF GOD

1. Belief in Revelation among all Peoples 2. Psychology of Revelation CHAPTER

IV.

DREAM,

VISION AND AUDITION, ECSTASY

87 87 87 89 90 92 97 99

99 102 104 08

108 no 14

(A) Psychology of Dream in Relation to Prophecy 114 ( B ) Psychology of Vision and Audition in Relation to Prophecy.. 120 (C) Psychology of Ecstasy in Relation to Prophecy 129 CHAPTER

V.

INSPIRATION

(A) Belief in Inspiration among all Peoples ( B ) Psychology of Inspiration CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY

134

134 135 142 145

P A R T

I

CHAPTER W H A T IS A

I

PROPHET?

I. E T Y M O L O G Y A N D M E A N I N G OF T H E W O R D

PROPHET,

NABI, K-QJ

T H E etymology of the H e b r e w w o r d N a b i (SNJ) presents many difficulties to scholars. According to Land, 1 nabi comes from the w o r d bo (tu) " to enter," " to w a l k in " ; nabi is the participle passive and is " thus the object of an entrance; one into w h o m some one or something enters; here, of course, the life-giving breath of the Deity. oi

H e is t h u s a n evdeos,

a n " ev6ova-id%(ov

aairep

OeofiavTeis."

Such a derivation seems to me very forced and unnatural. Kuenen 2 well points out among other reasons f o r not accepting this derivation that some subject as R u a h (mi) " Spirit," " B r e a t h , " should in that case have been expressed, f o r that is, a f t e r all, the important part of the idea, and it is, therefore, inconceivable that the Hebrews should have called a person possessed by the divine spirit simply " one w h o had been entered," without stating w h a t entered. W h i l e it must be granted that the nun 0) in H e b r e w words may sometimes be prosthenic as in nazid from zud ( t m f r o m i n ) , nabab perhaps f r o m bub (33J f r o m n u ) , etc., it seems exceedingly improbable that nabi be ' K u e n e n : " T h e Religion of Israel to the Fall of the Jewish State," London, 1882, Vol. I, p. 214. 2lb. 2

I

2

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY

derived f r o m the biliteral root bo (K3) because, aside f r o m morphological difficulties, the underlying thought of the nabi, both in the earliest and latest activity, is quite different from any idea contained in the root bo. T h i s is furthermore borne out by the fact that nebua (nxtoJ), the abstract noun, is regularly formed from a triliteral stem naba, ( s u ) , as are also the N i p h a l and Hithpael, and not f r o m a biliteral bo (so). M o s t scholars agree that the word nabi is not of H e b r e w origin, but has been borrowed from older Semitic tongues. T h i s is evident, too, from what we know of the history of the word. In a very important parenthetic note in I. Sam. 9 : 9 we r e a d : " B e f o r e time in Israel when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said: ' Come, let us g o to the Seer (ntfi), f o r he that is now called a nabi (N'3:) was aforetime called a Seer (nsnn) ' " Roeh was, as we see, the older H e b r e w word, while nabi, the later, the foreign word. Nabi comes f r o m the root naba (N3J) which means originally " to cause to bubble f o r t h , " hence to pour forth (words) abundantly as is done by those inspired, especially is the w o r d inspired here used in the primitive sense of 'madness, frenzy, raving, ecstasy, and utterances in a state of unconsciousness as in trance. T h e root naba (jdj) still occurs frequently in this sense of bubbling up, or gushing forth, and is evidently the same word as naba' (xnj) with a softening of the ayin into aliph, j d j into khj. E x a m p l e s : Prov. 1 8 : 4, " a gushing or bubbling stream." P r o v . 1 : 24, " I will pour out upon you my spirit." Ps. 5 9 : 8, " T h e y belch forth with their mouth." Prov. 1 5 : 2, " T h e mouth of fools poureth forth foolishness." P r o v . 1 5 : 28, " T h e mouth of the wicked poureth forth evil things." It is this primitive form of prophecy, in which mad-

WHAT

IS A

PROPHET

3

ness, frenzy, raving, and other forms of excited emotional activity played an important part, that Israel met in the Canaanitish civilization and imported into his own national life. In fact all primitive peoples considered these abnormal, pathological phenomena of the soul-life as signs of prophetic and divine activity, 1 and as most of these phenomena are accompanied by the gushing or bubbling forth of words, often even while the agent is unconscious, the utterances were taken as inspired by some deity. W i t h the introduction of the prophetic phenomena Israel also introduced the words by which the person and his utterances were designated, nabi and nebua (tru, nwaj). 2 There is no question in my mind but that this gushing forth of words as of one mad and raving is one of the principal ideas underlying the profession of Nabi in its primitive form. I t is the same idea as that expressed by the Greek lidvTis from ¡¿aivo^cu " to rage," " be furious," " rave with anger," or " be mad with wine," especially in Bacchic frenzy. T h e Latins expressed this idea by " furor " a word more akin to our English fury and madness, and yet one used in the identical sense of gushing forth or bubbling up with inspired utterances through madness, rage, or any high mental excitement: "negat sine furore Democritus poetam magnum esse posse " — C i c . T h e Hebrew literature, too, is not wanting in material to show that this idea of the prophet's func1

Spencer: " P r i n c i p l e s of Sociology," Vol. I, p. 326 ff.

2

Some believe, indeed, that the other Semitic languages took the w o r d

nabi from the Hebrew, but that is v e r y implausible as we s a w from the historic evidence in I Sam. 9 • 9-

T h u s W . R . Smith in the " Prophets

of Israel," p. 390, " It is hardly likely that the w o r d is older than the settlement of the Hebrews in So " Das

also

Smend:

Wort

nabi

Canaan."

" Lehrbuch (

)

der

Alttest.

Religionsgeschichte,"

hat keine Hebraeische

hatte auch der phonicische B a a l

Etymologie.

( I R e g . 1 8 : 19, 20, 25, 40.

p.

81.

Nebiim

II Reg.

3:

1 3 ; 1 0 : 1 9 ) und ebenso die Goetter der uebrigen Nachbarn Israels." Cf. also Kuenen (Vol. I, p. 2 1 2 ) w h o believes the A r a b i c l a n g u a g e borrowed the w o r d from the Hebrew.

4

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY

tion as one in a high state of emotional excitement was prominently retained. W h e n Elisha sends a young man of the school of prophets to anoint Jehu as K i n g of Israel, the court attendants asked h i m : " W h e r e f o r e came this insane fellow to y o u ? " ( I I K . 9 : 1 1 ) . («3 j>no l^sntnyjE>»n), so also the later prophets speak of the survival of this excited f r e n z y under the name of prophecy: Jer. 2 9 : 26 " f o r every man that is mad and maketh himself a prophet, that thou put him in prison and in the stocks " ; I I Kings 3 : 15 " and it came to pass when the minstrel played, that the hand of the L o r d came upon him," showing emotional excitement caused by external stimulus such as music, etc. Philology shows that the same w o r d running through different languages of the same family does not always retain the original sense of the root; while other words, again, may in the course of evolution develop new meanings and shades of meaning alongside with the original. 1 Still other words may denote something of the original idea of the root and at the same time connote the different shades of meaning which the word in the different related languages may have assumed, and thus blend, as it were, different shades of meaning into the same word. N o w it is my conviction, that, though it may not be possible to say with any degree of certainty f r o m which one of the family of Semitic languages the word nabi was originally imported, it is quite certain that the word has absorbed, in the course of Israelitish development, or assumed even from the very beginning, all the meanings of the word in the different Semitic tongues in which the Hebrews met the word, f o r it is evident beyond question that the H e b r e w literature preserves the w o r d in all 1E. g., Knave, Knabe; Knight, Knecht; indict, indite; burden, bier, barrow, birth, bairn; nice in sense of ignorant as in " He was nyce, and knowthe no wisdom." ( " T h r e e Lectures on Science of Language," by F. Max Mueller, p. 15 ff.)

W H A T IS A PROPHET

5

these shades of meaning, and uses it sometimes exclusively in one sense, and again exclusively in another sense, and then again in a sense in which all the meanings are blended into one. In addition, therefore, to the Canaanitish usages and meaning of the word, the Arabic and Babylonian-Assyrian meanings must also be considered, f o r they, too, have unquestionably contributed to the fundamental concept of the nabi. In each the word developed a peculiar shade of the original germinal idea, and all these have blended into one concept in the Hebrew language. Firstly, then, we saw that nabi x n j has the original idea, common to all natural prophecy, that of " bubbling u p , " or "gushing forth," derived from the older word ynj naba'. In the second place naba'a (Arabic) means " to> show," " declare," " proclaim," " announce." H e r e in this Arabic word is evidently one of the most important thoughts of the germ-idea of the common root naba. A n d this idea has been retained, sometimes mingled with the other idea, but often quite distinctly and exclusively, through all the stages of prophetic development and growth. T h e nabi is, then, according to the Arabic word, a proclaimer, an announcer, a messenger, one who proclaims, announces, something not his own or f o r himself, but one who> is an agent, a messenger f o r some one else, and that some one else is always God. W i t h this idea Exodus 7 : 1 and 2 harmonize perfectly: " G o d said to Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." A n d as if that were not plain enough, the writer continues to explain what he means by nabi, namely, one who speaks f o r another. H e says: " T h o u shalt speak all that I command thee, and Aaron, thy brother, shall speak unto Pharaoh." In another place ( E x . 4 : 1 6 ) Aaron is called

6

T H E P S Y C H O L O G Y OF P R O P H E C Y

the mouth of Moses, an idea often expressed by the prophets, calling themselves the mouth of God (mrr 'a). Jeremiah expresses the same idea when he says ( 2 3 : 1 3 ) " I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied." Thus Amos 5 : 8 " T h e L o r d God hath spoken, shall not the prophet announce it? T h e essential idea is always that the prophet announces, declares, something f o r his God. This is so not only in Israel but in all nations. There are prophets of Baal and prophets of Asherah ( I K . 1 8 : 1 9 ) , that is, prophets announcing the message of their gods, as is even more plainly indicated by Jeremiah in Ch. 23 : 1 3 " they prophesied by Baal " 6 1 m liO:nn), that is, spoke in Baal's name, ordered and commissioned by Baal, not of their own accord. A s we have seen the Canaanitish conception of the nabi agreeing with the Greek idea of ¡¿dvTK, so we may note here this Arabic idea agreeing entirely with the Greek conception of a prophet, 7t/3o^'t??? (from TrpoT)/u to speak f o r some one). T h e 1r/ao^^r?;? was one who spoke f o r another, an interpreter of the will of a god. " Ato? 7rpo(f>rjTT]ij? miyr6 rre>on Jalkut Rubeni

t j w Nim prer rrrpj?i> ürrax Bant? nonn «in

fol. 67 col. 3. zu

Genes. 22, 3: Dieser

(Esel)

ist ein

Fuellen d e r j e n i g e n Eselin, w e l c h e (bei der W e l t e r s c h ö p f u n g ) in der D a e m m e r u n g erschaffen w o r d e n .

Auf

diesem Esel w a r

einst Mose

geritten,

und auf ihm w i r d auch der söhn D a v i d s reiten. : niBwn p

: vf>jf The

ruraje» finta p

«in

i n p Tnjftp nonn sm ne>o vby 33-ik> nonn sin

p l a y f u l method of such interpretations

is harmless, if kept as it

w a s , w i t h i n the colleges as intellectual exercises, or for homiletical poses, but could never h a v e been intended to be taken seriously.

pur-

L6

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY

meant by 'divinely inspired ' ? In what way shall we bring to human consciousness a concept of the term ' divinely inspired ' ? Or, shifting the ground, as some do: How does God write books? Or, how does God dictate books to H i s servants, the prophets? W h a t is it that the prophet hears when God speaks? These are some of the fundamental questions of the meaning of prophecy, and not at all whether or not Jesus was the Messiah; whether or not the prophets foretold his coming and whether or not they were divinely inspired because of this prediction. In the Christian conception of prophecy, as related to this thesis, there may be pointed out one fundamental error and one fundamental truth. The error is the claim of divine inspiration for the prophets, because of the fulfilment of certain of their predictions. If we grant this, we must grant that whereever fulfilment follows prediction, there we find a prophet, which is not true. For many of us have predicted many things that were fulfilled, and yet we are not conscious of being, nor have we ever been taken as, prophets. The truth of the Christian concept is that the prophets are divinely inspired. 1 But this inspiration cannot rest on any fact of the power of prediction, be that prediction whatever it be, for we could then show that they predicted a number of things that were not fulfilled, and therefore, the proposition would be contradicted. (B)

CONCEPTION OF P R O P H E T A S W O N D E R

WORKER

One of the most popularly conceived functions of the Prophet is that of Wonder-Worker. 2 For, how else, 1 I t will be seen in a later chapter what I believe that term to mean, what, from a psychological standpoint, the term must mean to our human consciousness. 2 The explanation of miracles from a psychological point of view will be taken up in the following chapter on Miracles or Supernatural Physics. Here the fact in the belief only is presented.

P O P U L A R CONCEPTIONS OF H E B R E W PROPHETS

17

if not through wonderful performances is the prophet to show that he is a prophet, one sent by God to do His will. If he can do things that others cannot do, that is proof conclusive that divine power resides in him, that he does not come through his own initiative, but is sent by God. 1 And the God capable of giving such power commands respect and obedience. As this was the test of a prophet's genuineness in ancient times among all peoples,2 it is but natural that such a belief should persist, in some form or other, even in modern times, especially by such as believe the Bible to be an inspired Book, one book, or in essence one, because dictated or written by the same author, God. (a) firstly, then, we note that the prophet himself, in order to assure himself that he is speaking to God, and may rely on his help, asks, or expects, some sign or wonder (nix or nam) whereby to gain the moral conviction necessary to convince his hearers. Says Oehler (p. 1 7 ) : " In these operations revelation makes itself known as differing from the natural revelations of the human mind, not only by the continuity and the organic connection of the facts which constitute the history of salvation, but also in its special character (miracle) which points distinctly to a divine causality." And again (p. 1 2 4 ) : " T h e forces and vehicles in which this divine self-presentation and self-witness reaches man from without are the voice, the Malakh, the Shekinah in the sanctuary and miracle." ' This miracle, however, is not understood by them as anything supernatural in the sense in which we understand it. T o them everything is possible if God so wills it. 1

C f . E x . 8 : 1 5 where the Egyptian magicians, not able to bring forth lice

by their enchantments, recognized in this power of Moses " the finger of God." 9

Smend, ib.

derthaeter.

(p. 8 7 ) : " D i e alttestamentlichen Propheten sind auch W u n -

Bei ihnen suchte man nicht nur T r o s t und Rath, sondern auch

thatsaechliche Huelfe in aller Noth des Lebens."

3

18

THE

PSYCHOLOGY

OF

PROPHECY

Hence when Moses is asked to go to E g y p t to liberate the Children of Israel, he excuses himself in a number of ways, and finally says ( E x . 4 : i b if.) : " T h e y will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice, f o r they will say, J a h v e hath not appeared to thee. A n d the L o r d said unto him, W h a t is that in thy hand? A n d he said, A rod. A n d he said, Cast it on the ground; and he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent . . . T h a t they may believe that J a h v e the G o d of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee." A second and third miracle Moses is given the power to do, thus " making assurance doubly sure " that Pharaoh will believe his divine commission on account of these wonders. So also Gideon asked G o d f o r a sign (Judges 6 : 36 ff.) to> prove to him that God will deliver Israel through his hand as promised. In fact all the prophets had to be convinced that they were called by God. A s prophecy developed, however, this proof, though always wonderful, became more and more subjective instead of objective or, in other words, became more a spiritual manifestation and conviction instead of physical signs and wonders.1 Elijah makes a barrel of meal and a cruse of oil to last " until the day when J a h v e shall send rain upon the earth" (I K. 1 7 : 1 4 ) . Elisha cures the water by throwing salt into it ( I I K . 2: 2 1 ) . H e also announces that J a h v e shall fill the valley with water, though no rain f a l l ( I I K . 3 : 1 7 ) . 1

Oehler, p. 3 9 1 , note 1.

" The

many miracles which appear in the

history of E l i j a h and his successor Elisha are peculiar, no miracles being ordinarily attributed to the prophets of the Old Testament. as well

as at the Exodus

from E g y p t ,

Here, too,

it appears that the agency

of

miracles w a s chiefly employed when the point at issue w a s to prove the existence of the living God, as against the worshippers of the false gods." Note, however, that all these miracles are identical with those recorded in the N e w Testament concerning Jesus.

POPULAR CONCEPTIONS OF HEBREW PROPHETS

19

Twenty loaves of bread, through Elisha's miraculous power, are enough to feed a hundred men, " and they left thereof, according to the word of Jahve " ( I I K . 4 :

43 ffO(b) Secondly, we note the wonders which the prophets themselves performed f o r the people to show them that what they announced comes from God, who gave them the power to perform these miracles as a proof that they are divinely commissioned. Biblical examples abound: A l l the plagues of E g y p t ( E x . 7 : 1 8 - 1 4 : 3 1 ) were given as miracles to Pharaoh to convince him that J a h v e had sent Moses to liberate the Hebrews, and that H e , in whose name such miracles are performed, is a powerful G o d and will command obedience. When Moses appears before Pharaoh to deliver Jahve's message, he answers ( E x . 5 : 2 ) : " W h o is J a h v e that I should obey H i s voice to let Israel g o ? I know not Jahve, neither will I let Israel g o . " But J a h v e had prepared Moses and Aaron f o r this reception, and had given them the power to perform three miracles which shall prove to Pharaoh that they were sent by J a h v e ( E x . 4 : 1 - 1 0 ; 7 : 1 4 ff.). When these miracles had not the convincing effect, J a h v e sent ten more miracles, each one a powerful chastisement to show Pharaoh that the God who is taking Israel's part was in earnest in H i s request to have H i s people free. T h e children of Israel, too, were as hard to convince as Pharaoh. Finally after they had seen all the signs and wonders done in their behalf, " they feared J a h v e , believed in H i m , and in H i s servant, M o s e s " (Ex. 14: 3 1 ) . Joshua, too, shows his divine commission by dividing tjhe river f o r Israel as Moses had done (Josh. 3 : 1 3 ff.). Elijah, by means of his mantle, does the same, and Elisha, his pupil, receives a double portion of his master's power when he sees E l i j a h ascend into heaven and catches the

20

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF

PROPHECY

mantle as it falls. Samuel, the g r a n d figure in that turbulent period of Israel's history, convinces his people that his message was genuine by calling upon J a h v e f o r a miracle ( I Sam. 1 2 : 1 7 ) " I shall call on J a h v e , and he shall send thunder and r a i n ; that ye may perceive that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of J a h v e , in asking f o r a k i n g . " E v e n Isaiah tells A h a z ( I s . 7 : 1 1 ff.), to request a sign that he may be assured that the prophet's words are f r o m G o d . O f t e n the prophets p e r f o r m e d miracles, or b e g g e d G o d to p e r f o r m miraqles, in order to convert the people to the J a h v e religion, as was the case when E l i j a h brought down fire f r o m heaven to consume the sacrifice, a f t e r the prophets of B a a l had f a i l e d to do so, thus showing publicly the might of J a h v e . A n d the people were converted, and exclaimed: " J a h v e is the G o d ; J a h v e is the G o d . " 1 In general, then, the prophets do things which no> ordin a r y man can do, something miraculous and wonderful, to show that they are God-commissioned. 2 ( c ) T h i r d l y , the power to heal the sick without apparent physical means has always been indicative of divine power. T h i s miracle is a f t e r all the one most related to human life. I t m a y be very interesting to see the rod change into a serpent, but it is more vitally interesting to feel the pain disappear at the touch, or upon the prayer, of the prophet. T h a t the prophets functioned as divine healers is so patent that we cannot well a f f o r d to overlook it. T h i s healing power, perhaps more than any other, attracts the child-mind of all ages, so that even in our day w e have " divine healers." E l i j a h ( I K . 1 7 : 1 7 - 2 4 ) is reported to have restored 1 C f . Spencer: "Principles of Sociology," Appleton, N. Y . , 1904, Vol. I, p. 2 5 1 . 2 Cf. Spencer: lb., p. 250.

P O P U L A R C O N C E P T I O N S OF H E B R E W P R O P H E T S

21

a dead child to life through prayer and physical manipulation, stretching himself upon, and probably breathing into, the child. Elisha did the same f o r the Shunamite's dead child ( I I K . 4 : 23 ff.). From the question of the husband in the last quotation, Smend infers that on Sabbaths and new moons it was customary f o r people to visit the prophets f o r the purpose of being healed. 1 So f a r famed was this healing power of the prophets, that Naaman, the Syrian captain, heard of it and came to be healed of his leprosy. When Elisha heard that the King of Israel was troubled about Naaman's request of being healed, he sent word to the King saying: " L e t him come to me, that he may know there is a prophet in Israel." Similar healing miracles were expected, and are reported, of the prophets of other nations. T h e following from Knobel (p. 56, note 4 ) : " Der thebanische Seher Tiresias soll (als Naturkundiger) die Stimmen der Voegel verstanden haben (Appolod., I I I , 6, 7 ) , gleichwie Melampus (Appolod., I, 9, 1 1 . Plin. H . N . K., 70, X X V , 2 1 ) , welcher auch als A r t z t erscheint, indem er wahnsinnige Frauen heilt (Appolod., I I , 2, 2 ) . Chiron's Tochter, Oeyroe, verstand nach Ovid. (Metam., I I , 635 ff.), die Arzeneikunde (artes paternas) und die Mantik (fatorum arcana canebat). J a der Mantis Polydius soll sogar den Glaukus von den Todten auferweckt haben (Appolod., I I I , 3 ) . Bei den Scythen liess der Koenig, wenn er krank geworden war, die Wahrsager herbeiholen, welche ihm Ursache und Ende der Krankheit anzeigen mussten (Herod., I V , 6 8 ) . Endlich waren auch die Druiden der alten Gallier und Briten Wahrsager und Aerzte zugleich." T h e N e w Testament fairly teems with descriptions of the healing power of Jesus 2 and his disciples, so much so, 1

Smend: "Lehrbuch der Alttest. Religionsgeschichte," p. 87, Note 1. Matt. 10: 8; 1 1 : 5; 14: 35; 1 5 : 30; Mark 16: 20; Acts 2 : 43; 4: 16, 22; 5: 1 2 ; 6: 8; 8: 6; John 3: 2 ; 9: 1 6 ; etc. 2

22

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF

PROPHECY

that Christian Science, and Mental Science, Mental Therapeutics, Divine Healing, and all the rest of the mental healing processes claim Jesus as the founder of their respective schools. 1 Even in our day, were we just a little less scientific, a successful practitioner in medicine would receive divine homage, and there is no denying the fact that the reason why Christian Science, as a religion, is becoming more and more popular with men and women of fair intelligence, is because of this healing power of many of its advocates. A toothache or a headache relieved is even in our age a more appreciated wonder than the moving of mountains or the dividing of the Jordan. I remember when as a child I studied the Bible in the original Hebrew the only thing that elicited my unbounded admiration, reverence and envy was the prophet's power of performing miracles. The subtler powers of the soul, the true meaning of the prophet, was not even suspected by me. M a n y minds, I believe, never grow beyond the childstage in religious conceptions. As some minds carry away only a joke from a serious discourse, so others grasp only the unrelated miracle and wonder in the serious life of the prophet. Here again is pointed out the true and the false in this conception of the prophet. The truth is that the prophet can do wonderful things, things of which the average man is not capable. But these wonderful things are not at all the ones mentioned above, nor are those reported miracles to be taken in any sense as a serious part of the prophet's function and business. For, if so, every one performing miracles, and ' H u d s o n in the last chapters of his " L a w of Psychic P h e n o m e n a " gives an excellent exposition of the whole subject of mental healing based on the suggestions of Jesus's method.

POPULAR CONCEPTIONS OF HEBREW PROPHETS

23

there are many such in our age as in every age, would thereby give proof of his divine commission and prophetic power, which is not true. The fallacy in this conception is that the prophet's genuineness is based upon something wholly unrelated to the subject. The Prophet is either inspired or not; he is either God-commissioned or not; he speaks either truth or falsehood. Now, none of these facts can be established by reference to the prophet's ability to bring disorder into the physical laws of the universe. There is no causal connection, and to my mind no connection of any kind, between the two. If Dowie claims to be Elijah, sent by God to teach a certain something to the United States, and as proof should make the trees dance and the mountains skip like rams, I should still say that I was much amused to see such wonderful phenomena, but cannot find any causal connection between those miracles and his claim to Elijahship or to divine inspiration, and, therefore, should have to wait for more relevant proof. (C)

CONCEPTION OF PROPHET AS PREDICTOR

By far the most popular conception of prophecy is that of prediction. " I am not a prophet, I cannot tell what will happen," is a remark very commonly heard. And indeed this idea is not without its basis in fact, but, like most popular ideas, it seizes upon one point of view and prejudges from that. This conception of prophet as predictor gained ascendancy, as I believe, for two reasons; firstly, because prediction was an important element in the prophetic activity, and secondly, because Christianity has laid its principal emphasis on the predictive element on account of its specific interpretation of the Messianic predictions. " According to popular acceptation, prophecy is essen-

24

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF

PROPHECY

tially prediction, a fore-telling of events by divinely inspired persons." 1 W e have already seen that Briggs, too, considers prediction the most essential element in prophecy, 2 and, knowing his standpoint, we know, of course, why he lays his emphasis on prediction. 3 " T h e predictive school of interpreters, on the other hand, ignores very largely any relationship between prophecy and history, treats prediction as the most important factor in prophecy, and demands an exact fulfilment in letter or spirit of every predicted utterance. From this point of view, prophecy may be defined as the foretelling, by information granted directly through revelation, of occurrences which were contingent, and which, therefore, were not to be foreknown by human wisdom." 4 It is not the object in this chapter to explain the possibility of prediction and the psychology thereof, but only to state the fact as usually accepted, and the fact is undeniable that the prophets were predictors in a large and general sense of the word. It is easily conceivable how detached statements in the Bible foretelling events and secrets, veiled from the generality of men, readily lend themselves to the idea that the prophets were unrelated to history and knew by direct revelation or divine inspiration what supposedly could not be known in any other way. A f e w examples f o l l o w : Samuel is questioned about his father's lost asses, and he gives the desired information. Furthermore, this same Saul, Samuel is told by God, is 1

T h e N e w International Encyclopedia, s. v . Prophecy.

2

Quoted above in Chapter I I

3

Knobel in " Der Prophetismus der Hebraeer," quotes a number of Latin

(A).

writers and also Spinoza, all of whom take revelation and prediction as the principal characteristics of the prophet. 4

Harper,

W.

( 1 9 0 5 ) , p. 1 5 .

R.:

"The

Prophetic

Element

in

the

Old

Testament"

P O P U L A R CONCEPTIONS OF HEBREW PROPHETS

2$

the man w h o shall be the first king of Israel ( I S. 9 and 10). Elisha foretells the Shunamite the birth of a son (II K. 4 : 1 6 ) . H e also tells H a z a e l , the Syrian, " G o d hath showed me thee as king over S y r i a " ( I I K . 8 : 13b). In all phases and crises of life their foreknowledge is sought, often given of their own initiative, and as often even against the will of the people, especially in cases of evil tidings. T h e y predict rain and drought, victory and defeat, sickness, recovery and death. Isaiah predicts the Assyrian invasion in Chapter 1 as also in Chapter 33, " fusing the actual present with the expected future." H e foretells the a w f u l conditions after the conquest, when seven women shall take hold of one man saying: " W e will eat our own bread and w e a r our own apparel, only let us be called by thy name, to take away our r e p r o a c h " (Is. 4 : 1 ) . In the eighth chapter he foretells the great overflow of the Assyrian hosts. T h e Philistines are warned that their rejoicings are premature (Is. 1 4 ) " t h a t the power which they dreaded, though broken, will recover itself, and prove indeed f a r more formidable than before." 1 Speaking in the name of Jahve, Isaiah predicts the downfall of M o a b within three years (Is. 1 6 : 1 4 ) . " T h e sudden destruction of the Assyrians and the homage of Ethiopia to Jahve " is foretold in Chapter 18. A l t h o u g h Israel always put his trust in E g y p t , Isaiah predicts E g y p t ' s downfall and describes the material and social decay which will then begin (Is. 1 9 ) , and so on throughout the book. W h a t is true of Isaiah is true of each and every one of the prophets. T h e y all predict events, great and small, the approach of an enemy, victory or defeat, in short, the plans and purposes of God. 2 Jeremiah seems to think Driver, S. R.: "Isaiah, His Life and Times," London, 1888, p. 87. 1: 9; 15: 16; 18: 1; 37: 18; 37: 3; 38: 9; 49: 14; Ezek. 3: 17; 13: 32; Am. 3 : 7 ; Hos. 12: 11; Hab. 1: 3 ; 3 : 1-3; 3: 3; et al. 1

3 Jer.

26

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF

PROPHECY

that the true prophet is one who foretells the approach of evil only, and if he predict peace, the test of his prophetic power is to be in fulfilment of the prediction ( J e r . 28 : 9 ) . T h e prophets themselves as well as the Israelitish writers often propose this test of the fulfilment of prediction as the true test of genuine prophecy. Jeremiah's position we have just seen. Isaiah, or whoever wrote the last chapters of the present book of Isaiah, mentions time and again that prediction and fulfilment are the marks of true prophecy, and these show the superiority of Israel's God. 1 Deuteronomy ( 1 8 : 2 2 ) says plainly: " W h e n a prophet speaketh in the name of Jahve, and the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which J a h v e hath not spoken." Again is pointed out the truth and the error in this position. T h e truth is that the prophets were predictors to a very large extent, not indeed of trivial things as in the sense of fortune-telling, but in the true sense of prophetic prediction, large vision, profound intuition and inspiration. This prediction, however, is not an isolated, unrelated, detached fact, but a natural, psychological product, related to the history of Israel and to the environment, education and psychology of the prophet. T h e error in this position is that prediction, notwithstanding that ancient Israel and some of the prophets themselves considered it the important test of true prophecy, is not at all the infallible test of the prophet, f o r the ancients themselves knew, 2 and we certainly know, of men who can predict truly, and yet were not then, and are not now, considered prophets. A n d again those who in every sense are true prophets have often predicted things that were not fulfilled; prediction, therefore, cannot be • I s . 40; 4 1 : 2 1 - 2 8 ; 42: 9; 4 3 : 9 - 1 3 ; 44: 25 ft., et al. Deut. 1 3 : 2 - 3 , Hebrew edition 1 - 2 , Eng. Version.

2

POPULAR CONCEPTIONS OF HEBREW PROPHETS

27

the principle characteristic of prophecy. Oehler (p. 4 8 7 ) very correctly says: " But while, in accordance with the declaration of the Old Testament, we claim f o r prophecy the characteristic of prediction, we by no means assert the complete identity of the prediction with its fulfilment." (D)

CONCEPTION

OF

PROPHET

AS

PREACHER,

T E A C H E R AND STATESMAN

(a) Preacher and Teacher A somewhat higher and perhaps truer conception of the prophet than any of the preceding is that which considers him as national preacher, teacher and statesman. 1 Whether the form of prophecy be prediction and the accompaniment miracle, the content or substance is always ethical, moral, social and political. T h e prediction and miracles, however considered, were never anything but a means to an end, not an unveiling of the future to the inquisitive eye; 2 that was the business of the diviner, wizard and fortune teller, while the prophet's main purpose was religious, moral and political. T h e rationalistic and historical schools, both, conceived this to be the whole business of the prophet. Says H a r p e r : 3 " P r o p h e c y , from this point of view (Rationalistic School), may be defined as a system of thought intended to lift the people to an ethical conception of the Deity " ; Again, 4 " from this point of view (Historical School) prophecy may be defined as a special form of religious instruction, in which effort is made to illustrate and to formulate the principles in accordance with which the Ruler of the Universe conducts H i s government of nations and individuals." 1

These,

in

ancient

Israel,

were

always

united

because

politics, morality and l a w were inseparable. 2

C f . on this point Knobel, p. 19.

8

" Prophetic Element in the Old Testament," p. 1 5 .

i

Ib,,

p. 1 6 .

religion

and

28

THE

PSYCHOLOGY

OF

PROPHECY

" I n all these cases (Acts 2 : 1 7 , 1 8 ; 1 3 : 1 ; 1 5 : 3 2 ; Rev. 1 : 3 ; 1 3 : 3 : 6 : 10, 1 8 ; 1 6 : 6 ; 1 8 : 20, 2 4 ; 1 9 : 1 0 ; 2 2 : 6, 7, 9, 10, 1 8 ) in the N e w Testament as in the Old as in the Koran, the prominent idea is not that of prediction, but of delivering inspired messages of warning, exhortation and instruction; building up, exhorting and comforting; convincing, judging and making manifest the secrets of the heart ( I Cor. 1 4 : 3, 24, 2 5 ) . T h e Ancient, Classical and Hebrew sense prevails everywhere. Epimonides and Mahommed, Elijah and Paul, were prophets not because they foretold the future, but because they enlightened the present." 1 Smend (p. 1 7 4 ) " Sie (die Prophetie) steht auch zum Christenthume in Beziehung, nicht sowohl durch die sogenannten messianischen Weissagungen, als vielmehr durch ihre religioesen Grundanschauungen." Smith's Bible Dictionary ( A r t . T h e Prophetic G i f t ) mentions eight characteristics of the prophets, among which are the following: ( a ) Preachers of morals and spiritual religion (as opposed to ceremonialism, Is. 1 : 14-17). (b) Authorized exponents of the L a w (Is. 5 8 : 3 - 7 . Meaning of true fast) ; ( E z e k . 18. Sins of fathers not visited on children) ; (Micah, D o justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy G o d ) . (c) T h e y were a political power in the state. Davidson 2 interprets Jeremiah 2 8 : 8-9 to mean that the prophet must pass a moral judgment on his time; it is that which makes him a prophet. T h e question now arises: Is there any truth in this position ? T h e answer is not f a r to seek. One cannot be a serious student of the prophetic books without recognizing the prophets' activity directed mainly towards the up1

Stanley, A . P . : " Commentary on Corinthians," p. 243, quoted in Cen-

tury Dictionary. 2

Davidson, A . B . : " Prophecy and Prophets " in Hastings " Dictionary of

the Bible," Vol. I V , p. 106.

P O P U L A R C O N C E P T I O N S OF H E B R E W P R O P H E T S

29

building of religion and the state. As stated in the introduction, a knowledge of Israel's history is taken for granted, hence no attempt will be made to prove the following well-known fact, introduced here in explication of the above question: Israel like all ancient peoples, believed in a national God (Jahve). The favor of this God was to be obtained through sacrifice and presents, while the measure of Jahve's power lay mostly in his ability to grant victory to his people. Should he fail in this, his place would have to be taken by some other god whose power might be relied upon.1 Even before Amos some exceptional characters among the prophets, as Nathan and Gad, preached to some extent the ethical and moral nature of Jahve, but from Amos and Hosea to the close of prophecy, the conception of Jahve's nature and dominion was entirely changed. Jahve was now the God of the whole universe, a conception first preached by Amos and not understood by the people until centuries later. Jahve's nature was no longer capricious, influenced by sacrifice and presents; it was moral and consistent and demanded moral obedience. His dominion was no longer Palestine alone, but all the earth. Hence victory was still through Him, of course, but—and this is the great moral conception the people never dreamed of before, and which the prophets continually preached—even defeat, which the people supposed showed Jahve's weakness, the prophets declared proved Jahve's moral nature. For Jahve is a God of 1

T h i s is the v i e w of all the higher critics and many not of the critical

school also accept it—Wellhausen, Kuenen, Oort, Budde, Sraend, W . Smith, Driver, etc.

came to accept J a h v e as their national God. shown

himself

R.

Budde seems to explain most satisfactorily how Israel It w a s only after he had

capable to deliver the Israelites

from E g y p t ,

formally accepted him at Mount Sinai as their God.

that they

J a h v e w a s Jethro's

God, the god of the Kenites, for " b y my name J a h v e w a s I not known to them."

Budde's argument on this point seems to me irrefutable.

Budde: " R e l i g i o n of Israel to the E x i l e , " Lecture I.

Cf.

3°

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF

PROPHECY

justice and punishes sin wherever committed. Israel is only one of the many nations belonging to Jahve, and if Israel has indeed been chosen as Jahve's elect, that insures not greater victory, as the people thought, but greater responsibility and punishment (Amos 3 : 2 ) . " E v e r y thing that befell Israel was interpreted by the prophets as a work of Jehova's hand, displaying H i s character and will—not an arbitrary character or a changeable will, but a fixed and consistent holy purpose, which has Israel f o r its object and seeks the true felicity of the nation, but at the same time is absolutely sovereign over Israel, and will not give way to Israel's desires or adapt itself to Israel's convenience. . . . N o w , when we speak of Jehovah as displaying a consistent character in his sovereignty over Israel, we necessarily imply that Israel's religion is a moral religion, that Jehovah is a God of righteousness, whose dealings with his people follow an ethical standard." 1 A s moral teachers the prophets everywhere emphasize that righteousness leads to life and sin to death; and, therefore, when evil is predicted, it is mostly always with the proviso, either expressed or understood, that repentance, a turning away from sin, may avert the predicted evil. A s moral teachers and preachers of righteousness a few examples must suffice: Nathan calls David to account in the name of J a h v e f o r his unchastity in the matter of Bath-sheba and his unfairness towards her husband ( I I Sam. 1 2 : 1 - 1 4 ) . Elijah rebukes King Ahab and announces destruction to him and his posterity because he had Naboth slain to dispossess him of a coveted vineyard (I K. 2 1 ) . Isaiah announces in unmistakable terms that sacrifices are an abomination to G o d and that righteous1

Smith, W . R.: "Prophets of Israel," pp. 7 0 - 7 1 . "Prophets of Israel," Chicago, 1895, pp. 1 4 1 ff.

Cf. also Cornill:

P O P U L A R C O N C E P T I O N S OF H E B R E W P R O P H E T S

31

ness is w h a t H e requires (Is. i : 1 0 - 1 7 ) . ( C f . also Is. 5 : 23 if., which is an arraignment of natural sins; 6 : 10 fL, shows that Isaiah is to be the teacher and preacher of his people, e t c . 1 ) . Jeremiah tells how he was ordained to preach and teach, exhort and warn (Jer. 1 : 10 ff.; 4 : 3 ff.). Chapters 2 to 6 constantly offer a pardon and release f r o m destruction through repentance; the same idea in beautiful parable is taught in Chapter 1 8 ; very noteworthy of this office of preacher is Jeremiah's reference to precedence in Israel's history when M i c a h had preached inevitable destruction in the path of sin, and how repentance averted the evil (Jer. 2 6 : 18 ff.) ; E z e k i e l repeats over fifty times the thought that the object of his preaching is " T h a t the people may know G o d . " The children shall not suffer f o r the sins of the fathers ( E z e k . 18 : 2 ff.), neither does G o d desire the death of the sinner, but only that he return (repent) and live, are great moral teachings of Ezekiel. So also Jonah preaches righteousness and A m o s , Hosea, M i c a h and M a l a c h i and others ( H o s e a 4 : 1 ff., 6 : 3 ff. in Chapts. 4 - 8 Israel's guilt predominates, in Chapts. 9 - 1 x Israel's punishment is depicted) ; A m o s in Chapts. 1 - 2 preaches God's punishment among all nations f o r moral breaches; in Chapts. 5 - 6 he denounces in strong terms all kinds of cruelty and frivolity; M i c a h sums up his whole lesson as moral teacher in Chap. 6 : 8 , " to do justice, love mercy, and w a l k humbly with G o d " ; N a h u m ' s voice is raised against moral and social evil ( 3 : 4 ff.) ; M a l a c h i attacks chiefly three moral and religious abuses, 2 the degeneracy of the priesthood, intermarriage of foreign women and the remissness of the people in the payment of sacred dues. 1

Cf. Driver:

r . 208.

' l b ; P- 357-

"Introduction

to Literature

of

the

Old

Testament,"

32

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF

(b)

PROPHECY

Statesman

In ancient Israel, as is well known, Religion and the State were one, hence as statesmen no less than as preachers and teachers, the prophets' work was invaluable to the nation. Even more than statesmen in the modern sense were they, f o r not only did they, unappointed and unelected, act as advisers and counsellors of kings, as spokesmen of the people's rights, but, deriving their authority from God, they rebuked, set up and often deposed the rulers, according as they were or were not just and righteous rulers. Sometimes even outside the nation their influence in political affairs was felt. Elijah is instrumental in setting up H a z a e l as King of Damascus, and Jehu, son of Nimshi, as King of Israel. 1 Nathan, the prophet, overthrows the plan of crowning Adonijah, and sets up Solomon instead ( I K . Ch. I ) . T h e i r advice is often asked in w a r as well as in peace. When Joram, King of Israel, Jehoshophat, King of Judah, and Edom's King formed an alliance to force Mesha, King of Moab, to continue his tribute of rams, lambs and wool, Elisha's advice is first asked ( I I K . 3 : 4 ff.). A n unknown prophet (man of G o d ) discourages Amaziah from joining forces with Israel against Seir ( I I Chr. 25 : 5 ff.). " W e n n also wichtige Ereignisse im Volke oder in dessen Umgebungen vorgefallen sind, wenn politisches oder physiches Unglueck hereingebrochen ist, wenn verkehrte unheilsame Plaene im Anschlage sind, wenn Schandthaten begangen worden sind und herschende Laster goettliche Strafen gefuerchten lassen, dann treten sie in gewaltiger K r a f t hervor, um bald heilsame Lehren und Rathschlaege zu ertheilen, bald zu troesten und zu ermahnen u. s. w. Diese Reden halten sie theils oeffent1 Elisba is also credited with the same thing. II K . 9: 1 ff.

Cf. I K . 1 9 : 1 5 - 1 6 and

P O P U L A R CONCEPTIONS OF H E B R E W P R O P H E T S

33

lieh in der M i t t e des Volkes, theils in kleinen Kreisen, theils privatim unter vier A u g e n , je nachdem es die Umstaende erheischen ( I K . 1 2 : 22 ff.; 2 Chr. 1 2 : 5 ff.; 20: 1 4 ff.; Jer. 1 7 : 19, 20; 2 2 : 1 ; 7 : 2 ; 1 9 : 1 4 ; 2 6 : 2 ; 2 8 : 5 ; 3 5 : 1 ff.; 3 6 : 5 - 1 0 , e t c . ) . " 1 O f Jeremiah, D r i v e r says: " P o l i t i c a l l y , the fourth year of Jehoiakim, in which Nebuchadnezzar won his great victory over Pharaoh N e c h o at Carchemisch on the Euphrates, was the turning point of the age. Jeremiah at once grasped the situation; he saw that N e b u c h a d n e z z a r w a s destined to achieve further successes; he greeted him with the ode of triumph in C . 46, and declared that the whole of Western Asia would fall under his sway ( C . 2 5 ) , implying thereby w h a t he afterwards taught explicitly, that the safety of Judah lay in yielding to the inevitable and accepting the condition of dependence upon Babylon."2 Ezekiel, though more of a pastor to the people than a statesman, watches with keen interest the events of history and advises time and again the course that the nation had best pursue. 3 Concerning Isaiah, perhaps the greatest statesman of all the prophets, Driver, in his excellent volume: Isaiah, H i s L i f e and Times, says :4 " Regarded practically, the views which he advocated were clear, consistent and sound. T h e circumstances of the age threatened to entangle Judah with foreign powers, and Isaiah lays down the principles by which her action should be guided. In the panic caused by Syro-Ephraimitic invasion, Isaiah alone (so f a r as appears) retained the power of sober reflection, estimated the danger at its just proportions and Knobel, p. 69. Driver: "Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament," p. 248. 3 Ib., p.. 379, also " Das Buch Hesekiel," Bertholet, p. xvi. 4 Ib., pp. 107-08. 1

2

4

34

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY

saw

that n o stress

of

circumstances

could

justify

the

a b a n d o n m e n t of principle o r n e u t r a l i z e the consequences in case it should

be

resorted

to

(8:

12-15).

•

• •

F r o m the first he saw the hollowness o f E g y p t i a n promises, a n d it w a s doubtless o w i n g chiefly to' his exertions and influence that the alliance w i t h E g y p t w a s d e f e r r e d f o r so m a n y years.

.

.

.

" A s a r e f o r m e r I s a i a h l a b o r e d to correct all political and social abuses.

T o elevate statesmanship, to p u r i f y

justice, t o r e f o r m religion, t o fight against inconsistency, to redress social w r o n g s , w e r e the aims w h i c h he set himself in l i f e ; and his b o o k discloses to us the persistency and u n c o m p r o m i s i n g earnestness w i t h w h i c h he pursued it." A n d a g a i n : " T r u e , this aspect o f a p r o p h e t ' s w o r k , to e n f o r c e a p r o p e r standard o f action, to remind a nation o f the m o r a l obligations w h i c h its professions o f religion impose upon it, w a s in no w a y peculiar t o Isaiah, it is common m o r e or less to all the p r o p h e t s . " N o t e here a g a i n w h a t is true and w h a t false in this conception of the p r o p h e t . the

foregoing,

t h a t the

T r u e it is, as is seen f r o m

prophets

may

in the

highest

sense be called preachers, teachers and statesmen, notwithstanding

the

f a c t t h a t they

render

but,

incalculable

service in these capacities, it is not true t h a t these offices were

the highest characteristics

w e r e not even the conscious motif

of

the p r o p h e t s ;

o f these p r o p h e t s

w i l l be seen in the f o l l o w i n g c h a p t e r s ) .

they (as

F o r it is evident,

w i t h o u t f u r t h e r argument, t h a t preachers, teachers

and

statesmen, no m a t t e r h o w eloquent, pure and far-seeing, are not prophets, and hence the p r o p h e t cannot be conv e r t e d into these.

POPULAR CONCEPTIONS OF HEBREW PROPHETS (E)

SUMMARY.

35

A SOUL OF T R U T H I N T H I N G S ERRONEOUS

W i t h H e r b e r t Spencer I believe that there is a soul of truth in things erroneous. 1 W e have seen indeed that the prophets predicted the coming of a Messiah, but as we understand it they meant an ideal king, such an one as would be a worthy descendant of the idealized king David of the golden age; one who might bring order into political chaos, harmony out of confusion, rule in equity and justice, rejuvenate and recreate his people, and be in every sense a prince of peace. These prophets were wonder-workers, indeed, not in the sense of bringing confusion into the physical laws of nature, but in a deeper and truer sense of recognizing the spiritual laws in the unseen kingdom, and creating out of a religion of ceremony, animal and human sacrifice, and superstition, a religion of beauty and truth, of spiritualized and ethical monotheism, such as the world will perhaps some day understand. And finally, whatever the explanation, the fact remains that these men saw many events before their time, and were enabled by their clearer vision and higher aspirations, to preach, teach and lead in national affairs. 1

" First P r i n c i p l e s , " p. 3.

CHAPTER

III

MIRACLES OR S U P E R N A T U R A L PHYSICS

N o study of prophecy can afford to overlook the subject of miracles inasmuch as the prophet is often supposed to be a miracle. For, no matter how one views the history of Greece and Persia, Egypt and China, England and Mexico, the history of Israel is usually set aside as in great measure unrelated to universal history, replete with supernatural and unnatural phenomena. In other nations it is allowed that history works itself out in a natural way, under the guidance of Providence, that is, in accordance with well-known physical and spiritual laws, everywhere operative; while in Israel there was direct interference with the natural laws by supernatural agency. I t is not intended to convey the idea that the content and result of Israel's history and religion are identical with, or even similar to, the content and result of the religion and history of other nations. Neither are the content and result of China's history identical with, or similar to, England's, and yet each is in every sense a natural product. Going just one step further, we might easily affirm that there is no1 similarity and surely no identity between a watch-dog and a lily, and yet the process of cell-building in each is not essentially different, and the relation of activity to growth in each is the same, because all organisms are primarily descended f r o m a fertilized germ. " A n d in all cases—in the humblest alga as in the oak, in the protozoon as in the mammal—this fertilized germ results from the union of the contents of two cells." 1 Yet, because the lily differs so widely f r o m the watch1

Spencer: "Essay on Transcendental Physiology," p. 66.

36

MIRACLES OR SUPERNATURAL PHYSICS

37

dog and the protozoon from the mammal, no one would think of calling either the one or the other a supernatural product. There can be no> objection to the word Miracle, if by it is meant the impossibility of explaining objects and phenomena satisfactorily, for no man is so presumptuous as to believe that he knows aught of the incomprehensible and forever mysterious way in which the seed grows into- the rose and the germ into the child, or why or how brain activity makes possible consciousness, or consciousness brain activity. Nevertheless these tangible objects and intangible phenomena are called natural, because no matter how inexplicable and mysterious they all may be on the one hand, they are all, on the other hand, capable of being studied, and when so studied or observed, are seen to follow definite laws. And by law is not meant a power from without, impelling the thing to act in a certain way; but the observed way or mode in which the thing uniformly acts or operates is called its law. Hence when we find a thing to act, or a phenomenon to appear, in a certain uniform way under definite conditions, we say we have discovered its law. Therefore, whatever can be observed or experienced, whether it be the growth of the embryo or the metamorphosis of the caterpillar, whether the absorption of motion and disintegration of matter or the integration of matter and dissipation of motion, whether the walking on water or conversion of staff into serpent, if these are experienced facts, phenomena observable or observed, then are they natural phenomena pure and simple. I f now we designate the observed uniform ways or modes in which the physical universe acts as laws of physics, and the observed uniform ways or modes in which mind acts as laws of psychology, then miracles, which are phenomena not classifiable under any known

38

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF

PROPHECY

law of physics or psychology, would have to be designated by some such term as not-natural, rnnatural or supernatural physics or psychology. If miracles are designated by their synonyms: unnatural physics and supernatural psychology, it seems to me, that even the crassest miraclist will pause a moment to think. How, then, shall we study the Bible in order to wrest from her pages the truth? There are three ways of approaching the study of Biblical problems: 1 ( i ) T o accept everything as literally true; (2) to reject everything as literally false; ( 3 ) to pick out from the great mass of myth, unscientific observation and child-age credulity, the kernel of truth. There is no other way of approach. The first method we must reject unless we believe that we shall be especially interesting to God, if we retain child-like credulity in matters Biblical, no matter how logical and critical we may be in other fields of investigation. The second method we must also reject unless indeed we wish to go to the other extreme and deliberately close our eyes to the fact that there is a soul of truth in all things erroneous. Hence the only thing left is to accept the third method. And indeed this method is the most rational and the one most calculated to get at truth. The problem, however, is how to get at this kernel of truth from out of the many layers of tradition, myth, embellishment and one-sided view-point. Here, in this endless labyrinth, psychology alone can be our true guide, accompanied only by what we know of the nature of physical laws; for, in the last analysis, physical laws require mind for their perception and interpretation. 1

Cf. Budde: "Religion of Israel to Exile," New York, 1898, p. 2, note 1.

(A)

MIRACLES OR SUPERNATURAL PHYSICS

39

N O T H I N G G A I N E D FROM THEOLOGICAL

DISCUS-

SION OF GOD'S POWER TO B R E A K H I S L A W S

W e gain nothing in this respect by the old theological argument that G o d is all-powerful, therefore nothing is impossible f o r H i m . If ordinarily a man buried in the grave remains there forever, through the will of God he may arise and live again. T h e psychology of the untrained mind is easily explicable and to a great extent quite logical. If the caterpillar is metamorphosed into a butterfly, why not a staff into a serpent? If a seed buried in the ground grows and lives, why not a man P1 Such an argument of the all-powerfulness of G o d has no value whatever. In the first place " God " and " allpowerful " are posited, both conceptions of infinity and we have no experience with infinity. In the second place we can continue the argument by saying: G o d is all-wise. I f so, whatever H e made is perfect. T h e laws of the universe are H i s laws, therefore they are perfect. If G o d at any time changes them, that is a confession that these laws were not perfect, therefore God is not perfect, not all-wise, which contradicts the proposition. Therefore, it follows that God cannot change His laws, cannot perform miracles. 2 1

C f . Spencer's v e r y lucid chapter on the Ideas of Death and Resur-

rection, " Sociology," Vol. I, p. 1 5 3 ff. 2

Most remarkable indeed is the fact that already in the Mishnah the

Rabbis s a w in these miracles the great stumbling block to the tion that G o d is all-wise.

concep-

Believing, nevertheless, that the Bible is an

authentic record of events, they harmonized the contradiction by

accept-

ing the immutability of God's law, thus establishing His omniscience and perfection, and then explaining the miracles by saying that they

were

not a change of God's l a w or mind, but that these seeming breaches of nature had been preordained at the v e r y creation of the world Aboth 5 : 6 ) .

(Pirke

W h i l e in another place (Rosh Hashanah 3 : 8) the Rabbis

very emphatically declare the impossibility of miracles and explain them symbolically.

4° (B)

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY E M P I R I C OR SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF V A L U E HERE

In any investigation, and, therefore, also in the investigation of miracles, theoretical knowledge can have no value as explanation, unless the theory is at least explicable on principles already known, that is on empiric knowledge. T o explain one unknown quantity by another is begging the question. T h e problem is to explain miracles, that is, phenomena supposedly not explicable by any known law of nature. N o w to explain these miracles by referring them to God, an unknown quantity, to H i s all-powerfulness, another unknown quantity, to H i s will, another unknown quantity, is to beg the question with a three-fold begging. Explanation may often mean simply classification. T h e first step in every investigation is classification. The botanist, the geologist, the astronomer, the biologist, the psychologist, each begins by classifying. A thing or a phenomenon is explained when classified among other things and phenomena. An object may be found wholly different from anything known, and, therefore, unclassifiable, and yet when it is designated by the very vague name " t h i n g " it is already classified and becomes an object of science and, therefore, a natural object and not a supernatural one. So also an appearance may be so unlike anything previously experienced by the individual or the race as to be unclassifiable, yet by the very vague designation " phenomenon," or " appearance," it becomes an object of psychology or some other branch of science, and thereby it is included in natural phenomena and not in supernatural. In general, then, whatever is experienced, whether the dividing of the river or the resurrection of the dead, if it is an experienced phenomenon, it is a natural phenomenon, although no satisfactory explanation be at any time forthcoming. T h e problem, however, with

MIRACLES OR S U P E R N A T U R A L PHYSICS

4-1

most so-called miracles is not one of physical science, but of psychology, that is, not how did the thing happen, but how came the writer to record it as fact. (C)

S C I E N T I F I C BASIS I N F A V O R OF THE

MIRACLES.

OBJECTION

The argument drawn from archebiosis might be advanced as a scientific basis in favor of miracles. It might be argued that as no scientist to-day has succeeded in creating living protoplasm out of existing matter under existing conditions, and yet nearly all believe in archebiosis, that is that living matter has in some past epoch originated in accordance with natural laws,1 so- in the same way might it be argued, that all these miracles reported in the Bible, though physically impossible now, under present cosmic conditions, were possible then, and were, therefore, natural in the same identical sense in which our physical laws to-day are natural. There is, however, a serious objection to this kind of argument. While in the strictest sense cosmic conditions are not identical this moment with the preceding moment, yet for so vast a change in natural law, as, for example, to change sand into lice, a thing impossible now, cosmic conditions certainly require a vastly greater period of time than three thousand years. From all that we learn from contemporary sources there were no perceptible differences between cosmic conditions in Biblical times and now. The explanation must, therefore, be sought in a different direction. (D)

E X P L A N A T I O N I N OUR F A L S E H I S T O R I C

PER-

SPECTIVE

It is clear from the foregoing that I seek an explanation of miracles not in the realm of physics but in psychol1 Fiske, in his "Cosmic Philosophy," Vol. I, Chap. 8, presents an excellent account of " T h e Beginnings of Life."

42

THE

PSYCHOLOGY

OF

PROPHECY

ogy. In other words, it is not so much the miracles that need explanation as the minds that believe them. Every increased knowledge of nature increases the conviction of the impossibility of miracles. For, not excluding the possibility of the existence of phenomena unknown to us, or inexplicable by us, I hold that whatever is an object of experience is by that very fact natural. T h e whole problem of miracles exists solely because of our false historic perspective. W e read f o r example (Josh. 1 0 : 1 2 - 1 3 ) that Joshua made the sun and the moon to stand still and still we say: T h a t is something that so f a r as we know no one can do, hence we conclude that it is a miracle, a direct interference of God with His own laws, and we ask: H o w do you explain that? W h a t we should do is to get the proper historic perspective and ask: Did the author who chronicled the event intend it as fact or fiction? If fact, who saw or experienced that fact? Were those who experienced that fact, assuming and granting that they were honest and unbiased, capable to observe accurately and report correctly? Answering these questions we find the very noteworthy fact that not a single prophet of the really great prophets who wrote their own sermons and recorded contemporaneous history mentions any miracles or supernatural events about himself or his time, and that all the miracles recorded in the Bible were written by historians who lived many centuries after the events which they chronicle. Granting, as I do, that in many cases the writer or compiler embodies older manuscripts, 1 the fact above stated is worthy of serious 1

Harper, p. 28. T h r e e schools of interpretation exist:

(1)

The

school

which maintained that the material of these documents is contemporaneous with the events described or words uttered;

(2)

the school which main-

tains that the material has no historic value, since it is largely, if not wholly, the creation of the later author, and, ( 3 ) the school which believes that these writers made use of the earlier writings.

M I R A C L E S OR S U P E R N A T U R A L P H Y S I C S

43

reflection, and can lead to but one conclusion: 1 " M o s t natural events, if they be handed down by tradition, become exaggerated and assume of themselves, as it were, the character of miracles." 2 W e could even g o further and show that some of the compilers themselves had at least their doubts as to whether they were recording facts, as is evident f r o m the above example chosen at random. T h e compiler's only authority f o r the statement that Joshua made the sun and moon to stand still, as he himself states (Josh. 1 0 : 1 3 ) , is the fact that it is written in the book of Jasher. I f we remember how in our own age of scientific accuracy the biographer often sees in the subject of his biography a hero, no matter how ordinary and commonplace he may have appeared to others, we can understand how, in an age of child-like credulity the truly great man who had impressed his personality and character on his age and time to such an extent as to live in the memory and tradition of his people, how such a man should grow into a hero, a god, a wonder-worker and what-not. 3 T h i s element of the miraculous we find not only among Israel in his early stage, but among all ancient peoples and among modern in a low stage of development. If Moses performed miracles so also did the E g y p t i a n magicians ( E x . 7 : 1 1 ) . I f Elijah, Elisha and Jesus healed the sick without physical means, so also did the 1 One thing we must not forget, namely, that when the prophets and other Biblical writers speak of Jahve as doing this or that they mean nothing more or less than that without Jahve nothing either small or great can happen. Jahve to them means exactly what nature means to us. Cf. W . R. Smith, "Prophets of Israel," pp. 313 ff. Also Maimonides, who already in the twelfth century explained that Scripture ascribes phenomena produced by the natural causes to God as the first cause of all things. ( " G u i d e for the Perplexed," Ch. XLVIII.) 2 Kuenen: " T h e Religion of Israel," Vol. I, p. 20. 3 Cf. Carlyle's " Heroes and Hero Worship."

44

T H E PSYCHOLOGY

OF

PROPHECY

Greeks and Romans in all ages, 1 and so also do the medicine men among uncivilized tribes, and so do the Christian scientists and mental healers and divine healers of to-day. If these men raised the dead to life, so did Polyeidus restore Glaucus to life. 2 If some of the Biblical characters brought down rain from heaven, so do the Indian and Australian " rain makers." 3 If Sampson had supernatural strength, so also had Hercules. I f Joshua prolonged the day, so also did the Greeks and the Romans, 4 and so also do the Australian Blacks of to-day. 5 If the birth of Jesus is wrapped in mystery and wonder, so also is the birth of Etana and Rustem in the BabylonianAssyrian and Armenian and Mandaean legends 6 and so is the birth of Zoroaster, Buddha and Mohammed. 7 If E l i j a h ascended to heaven, so did many Greeks and Romans. 8 In fact the whole list of miracles must be explained from a psychological standpoint upon the credulity and exaggeration of the child-age in civilization. Georg Lorenz Bauer in his volume in two parts entitled, " Hebraeische Mythologie des alten und neuen Testamentes " has shown one hundred and four years ago what many to-day cannot yet understand, that all these wonderful things belong to the field of mythology, and he arranges all the Biblical miracles under three heads: ( i ) Philosophical M y t h s ; ( 2 ) Historical and HistoricalPhilosophical M y t h s ; ( 3 ) Poetic and M i x e d Myths. 1

C f . Rohde: " P s y c h e , " Freiburg, 1890, Vol. II, p. 76, note 1.

J

B a u e r : " Hebraeische Mythologie des Alten und Neuen

Testamentes,"

P a r t II, p. 1 6 7 . 3

Brinton: " Religions of Primitive

Peoples,"

New

York

and

London,

1897, p. 1 7 4 . 4

Iliad, Book II, lines 4 1 2 - 4 1 7 .

A l s o Plautus and Sosia, quoted by Bauer,

Book II, pp. 18 and 22. "Brinton, p. 1 3 . " J a s t r o w , Morris: " R e l i g i o n of Babylonia and A s s y r i a , " p. 520 ff. 'Silberstein, M . : " I m Himmel und auf E r d e n , " Breslau, 1896, pp. 5 - 1 9 . 8

C f . on this point Rohde on " Psyche," Vol. II, pp. 373 ff., and notes.

MIRACLES OR SUPERNATURAL PHYSICS

45

A n d not only does he show the supernatural to be mythical, but also shows in most cases the parallel existing between Old and N e w Testament mythology and Greek and Roman mythology. 1 T o conclude, then, the Biblical miracles belong in the same class as the non-biblical miracles, and should be explained not by asking: H o w did they happen?, but how came the ancient writers to believe them? (E)

I s T H E R E A RESIDUE OF P R O P H E T I C M I R A C L E S N O T Y E T EXPLAINED ?

Is there a residue of prophetic miracles not explained on the above theory? I do not hesitate to answer in the affirmative. T h e objection might be raised, I am well aware, to the explanation of miracles in the last section on the ground that if the possibility of some miracles is granted, then must the possibility of all be granted. T h e objection would indeed be a valid one, if I granted the possibility of any miracles, but I do not grant that possibility. I have picked out one particular recorded event, so unusual and so seemingly contradictory to the laws of nature, that even to-day few would hesitate to call it a supernatural affair, a miracle, and it is quoted just because of this miraculous element in it, to show that while most miracles belong to the field of mythology or psychology, there may be some that cannot be so explained, and yet I emphasize my theory that whatever is is natural, no matter whether an explanation be forthcoming or not. A n d now to the miracle! In the book of Daniel ( 3 : 1 5 ff.) we read that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed1 Brinton, " Religions of Primitive Peoples," groups the most prominent mythical cycles under several heads in which many of the Biblical miracles may well find their place (p. 1 1 8 f f . ) .

46

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY

nego were cast into a fiery furnace because they would not obey Nebuchadnezzar's decree to worship the golden image, but lo and behold! they were walking around in the midst of the furnace unharmed, " not an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed nor had the smell of fire passed on them." T h i s miracle surely seems to contradict the possible, and yet I single out this one as truth, because it can be done and is done to-day by many uncivilized tribes, according to authentic reports quoted by A n d r e w L a n g in his book " M a g i c and Religion," Ch. X V . H i s quotations are from eye-witnesses of the highest scientific standing and so convincing that I cannot reject the evidence of the possibility of the feat, in spite of the fact that I find no ready explanation, nor does he offer one. He simply states that it is a subject worthy of physiological and psychological investigation. In a larger w o r k than this thesis it would indeed be worth while to quote the entire chapter so that the facts f r o m which I judge might be patent, but as this cannot be done here, I give a few short excerpts f r o m one of the numerous reports there given : A N A C C O U N T OF T H E F I J I F I R E BY

DR. T .

M.

HOCKEN,

CEREMONY

F.L.S.

" T h e lovo, or oven, was circular, with a diameter of 25 or 30 feet; its greatest depth was perhaps 8 feet, its general shape that of a saucer, with sloping sides and a flattish bottom, the latter being filled with the white-hot stones. N e a r the margin of the oven and on its windw a r d side, the thermometer marked 1 1 4 0 , . . . " A n d now they came on, seven or eight in number, amidst the vociferous yells of those around. T h e margin reached, they steadily descended the oven slope in single

MIRACLES OR S U P E R N A T U R A L PHYSICS

47

file, and walked, as I think, quickly across and around the stones, leaving the oven at the point of entrance. The leader who was longest in the oven was a second or two under half a minute therein. . . . " Just before the great event of the day I gained permission to examine one or two> of the fire-walkers prior to their descent into the oven. This was granted without the least hesitation by the principal native magistrate of the Rewa district, N ' D a b e a by name, but generally known as Jonathan. T h i s native is of great intelligence and influence, is a member of the N a Galita Clan, and has himself at various times walked through the fire. On this occasion he took no other part in the ceremony than that of watching or superintending it. T h e two' men thus sent forward for examination disclosed no peculiar feature whatever. A s to dress, they were slightly garlanded round the neck and the waist; the pulse was unaffected, and the skin, legs and feet were free from any apparent application. T h e foot-soles were comparatively soft and flexible—by no means leathery and insensible. T h u s the two Suvan theories were disposed of. This careful examination was repeated immediately after egress from the oven and with the same result. T o use the language of Scripture, ' No smell of fire had passed upon them.' . . . " Various natives, being interrogated for an explanation, replied, with a shrug, ' T h e y can do this wonderful thing; we cannot. You have seen it; we have seen it.' W h i l s t thus unable to suggest any theory or explanation, I am absolutely certain as to the truth of the facts and the bona fides of the actors. A feature is that, wherever this power is found, it is possessed by but a limited few. I was assured, too, that any person holding the hand of one of the fire-walkers could himself pass through the oven unharmed. T h i s the natives positively assert." Now then, while on the one hand, I assert the impos-

48

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY

sibility of arriving at knowledge except through the natural channels, this section, on the other hand, is to emphasize the thought that not all objects of experience are capable of satisfactory explanation, and yet, if these phenomena are objects of experience, then are they in every sense natural. T h i s last thought is especially important because in the chapters that follow there may perhaps be some elements in the prophetic mind not capable of exact explanation any more than the very concept " mind " is capable of exact explanation, and yet " mind," " prophetic mind," " poetic mind," " artistic mind," though none can be exactly defined, still are each and all natural products, subject to definite, though not always explicable, laws. N o r is it necessary that the student of prophecy shall explain all the contradictions, supposed or real, of the laws of psychology in the prophetic activity, any more than the physicist is called upon to explain the supposed contradictions of physical law, as when in the presence of the " psychic medium " the table walks and the trumpet flies up, while in every known scientific laboratory the table stands still and the course of the trumpet is always to the floor, not to the ceiling. T h e physicist may, if he so desires, venture an explanation of these contradictions, but his reputation as a scientist does not depend upon a correct explanation of the tricks of the medium. So also do I emphasize the fact that a study of miracles in general, and the psychology of the prophet in particular, is in no wise hindered by some of the supposed or real contradictions of the known and ascertained physical and mental laws.

CHAPTER

IV

T H E PROPHET IN R E L A T I O N T O OTHER

PROFESSIONS

A G E N E R A L survey of the office of prophet we found in the etymological and philological study of the word Nabi; from the various popular conceptions we have gleaned some idea of the many-sided activity of the prophet, as seen from the different popular view points; and, having disposed of miracles in the history of Israel, it is evident that we shall find the prophet human, related to other human beings. Our task in this chapter will be to consider the prophet in his relation to other professions. Not the differences especially, and these are, of course, many and are taken for granted, but the likenesses and similarity between the prophet, on the one hand, and the priest, diviner, poet and genius, on the other, will be the subject of investigation here. (A)

PROPHET AND

PRIEST

In the Babylonian-Assyrian religion the priest functioned in the capacities of priest, prophet, poet and magician. H e was the guardian of the temple and its rights and palladia; he was the ramku and nisakku,1 the " libation-pourer," and officiated at all sacrifices, for no one, not even kings, who in Assyria and Babylonia as well as in Israel were divinely appointed, could approach the deity with his sacrifice without the priest's assistance. H e it was through whom, by means of sacrifice, the desired answer was obtained (ibid., p. 3 3 1 ) ; he was the mediator between the penitent and his god, and through him reconciliation was to be had and only through him (p. 3 1 5 ) ; 1

Jastrow, M.: "Religion of Babylonia and Assyria," p. 657. 5

49

THE

PSYCHOLOGY

OF

PROPHECY

he alone could offer prayers efficaciously and wrest from the gods the coveted f a v o r (p. 3 5 3 ) . In the capacity of prophet he was the interpreter of oracles and omens, the prognosticator of the future (p. 3 2 9 ) and determined the will of the gods; he was the shailu, the " inquirer " who obtains oracles through the dead and through the gods (p. 657 ft.) ; above all he was the theologian and religious teacher, " setting the fashion in theological thought,"'and in general he was the intellectual leader of the people. Related to this was the office of scribe and judge also held by the priest. A s poets these priests functioned in the capacity of dirge-singers and hymn-singers, " wailers " and " howlers," but also as the composers of these hymns and prayers, incantations and magical texts, each sanctuary having its own characteristic services (p. 248 f f . ) . The most popular function of the priest, however, was that of magician, charmer, restrainer of demons, soothsayer, healer (p. 657 f f . ) . N o w , whether or not Israel's religion is directly connected with that of Assyria and Babylonia is not a proper subject f o r discussion here, but certain it is that all religions in their early stages are similar, and especially are the early Semitic religions similar in form and content. It is to be regretted that we have not more Biblical material to judge from, but even from the meager accounts it appears, almost beyond dispute, that in ancient Israel, too, the prophet and priest were originally one. 1 Moses was priest and prophet both. 2 So was Aaron. Samuel was brought up by Eli, the priest, and it seems that at least the early part of his life he functioned as priest, while later he assumed more and more the role of 1 2

12:

The

same holds true of the Philistines.

Compare Deut. 1 8 : 5 ; 13, 1 4 ;

pp. 3 0 2 - 3 .

3 3 : 4, 8, 9 ;

Compare I Samuel 6:

Ps. 99: 6;

Nu. 1 2 : 6

see also W . R . Smith: " O l d Testament in J e w i s h

ff.;

2. Hos.

Church,"

T H E P R O P H E T I N R E L A T I O N TO O T H E R P R O F E S S I O N S

51

prophet. A n d yet, even here, it is already seen that the two offices were united in one person, because, while acting in the capacity of prophet, he is still looked upon as, and performs the duties of, priest, as when at the sacrificial meal his presence was necessary to bless the offering ( I Sam. 9 : 1 3 f f . ) . Ezekiel is certainly as much priest as prophet, as active f o r sacrifice and temple as f o r ethical action, and " the official prophets of Judah appear to have been connected with the priesthood and the sanctuary until the close of the kingdom." 1 T h e y interest themselves, as do the priests, in the building of the Temple ( E z r a 5 : 2 ff., I I Sam. 7 ) ; in the music f o r the Temple ( I I Chr. 2 9 : 2 5 ) ; the prophet, Gad, advises D a v i d to build an altar ( I I Sam. 2 4 : 1 8 ) . In short, in these and other respects the prophets are identical with the priests. 2 Kuenen 3 objects to the theory that the prophet and priest were originally one, chiefly on the ground that the office of priest was hereditary, while that of the prophet was not. This seems to> me to be a very superficial objection because we have seen that in other Semitic religions the two were one,4 and even the priestly office itself, while later hereditary, was originally quite likely not so, as everyone was permitted to offer sacrifice, while the distinctive office of the priest was to consult the oracles. 5 In the same way it might be reasoned that the theatre and the church are unrelated because to-day the two institutions are dissimilar and often at opposite extremes, and yet, in spite of this, the theatre is the product of the church. T h e same opposition in fact we find among the prophet 1

Smith, W. R . : " O l d Testament in Jewish Church," pp. 292 ff. Knobel, pp. 207-8. 3 Kuenen: " Hibbert Lectures," London, 1882, pp. 96 ff. 4 So also in Arabic Kahin is seer, while in Hebrew the same word Kohen means priest. 5 Later this function of oracles was shifted to the prophet, while the priest became the official sacrificer. 2

52

THE

PSYCHOLOGY

OF

PROPHECY

and priest, the one emphasizing spiritual religion and often condemning sacrifice and rite, the other carefully guarding and emphasizing ritual and sacrifice. Other scholars, however, such as Smend, Knobel and W . R . Smith accept the theory that the two were originally one. 1 Again we find that the two offices often overlapped each other, thus showing, as I believe, that, when according to modern phraseology the division of labor or specialization took place, the two were not yet clearly defined. There were prophetic as well as priestly oracles ( I Sam. 28 : 6 ) . D a v i d asks Gad, the prophet, f o r advice, to inquire of God, and then turns to Abiathar, the priest, to get the information by means of the ephod ( I Sam. 1 4 : 1 8 5 2 2 : 5 , 10; 23: 9). Elijah and Elisha occasionally offer sacrifices themselves as well as the priests ( I Kings 18 : 30 ff.). " When all is said," acknowledges even Kuenen, 2 " points of contact between prophet and priest remain. Both passed in the eyes of the people f o r the trusted interpreters of the deity. . . . There were doubtless circumstances under which the prophet or the priest might be consulted with equal propriety. I f the special circumstances occasionally determined the choice, there were likewise times when no choice was open." N o t only, then, are prophets related to the priests, but they were originally one and the same person. When they finally did become separate persons with separate offices we still find them related in the following points: They were both mediators between the people and their God. Both prayed in times of need to God in behalf of Israel (Smend, p. 8 8 ) . 1

Smend:

" Lehrbuch

der

alttest. Religionsgeschichte,"

R. Smith: " O l d Testament in J e w i s h Church," pp. 293 208 ff. 2

" Hibbert Lectures," pp. 9 7 - 8 .

pp. 92 ff.

ff.

W.

Knobel, pp.

T H E P R O P H E T I N R E L A T I O N TO OTHER PROFESSIONS

S3

Both were consulted regarding the will of God; the one answered by means of the Ephod, Urim and Thumim, the other directly through visions, dreams and intelligent insight. Both worked for the religion of Israel in the name of Jahve. The priests were often judges of the people, so were the prophets in a higher sense, judging priests, kings and people alike. Both gave advice in critical periods, the one when asked, the other, the prophet, often unbidden. The object and aim of both, in a general sense, was the same, namely, to make Israel holy, obedient to the laws, the Torah of J a h v e ; the one tried to gain his object through ceremony, sacrifice and rite, the other through righteousness and justice. Hence, it is evident that in these related points the psychology of the prophet is in no wise different from the psychology of the priest, and might well be eliminated in an investigation of the distinctive features of the psychology of prophecy. (B)

PROPHET AND

DIVINER

In the priest of the Babylonian-Assyrian religion were centered all the offices which later, in other nations, were branched off from the parent root into prophet, diviner, charmer, poet, magician and all the rest of religious and kindred workers. Indications are not wanting to show that in Israel, too, these offices, if not always vested in one person, were at least so closely related that the functions of the one were at no time very clearly marked off from those of the other, so that no clear demarcation is possible. 1 1 Cf. Mic. 3: 5 ff.; Is. 3: 2, 3 ; Ezek. 13; Hos. 4: 12 ff.; Lev. 19: 26, 3 1 ; 20: 6, 27; I Sam. 15: 23.

54

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF

PROPHECY

" W e shall presently have occasion to notice more than once, that though sorcery was opposed by some of the most advanced Israelites, until at last it was forbidden in the L a w , yet the sorcerers, wizards and necromancers played a great part in the national life of Israel, by the side of seers, dreamers, priests and prophets. T h e prophets especially were given to meddling with these arts." 1 T h e Teraphim, the Lot, the Ephod, the Urim and Thumim were all divining instruments used in Israel, and the necromancers were by no means discredited in Israel, as even the king in distress goes to inquire of them regarding the outcome of the battle ( I Sam. 2 8 ) . The many persecutions of these diviners, wizards, etc., are not a proof that Israel did not believe in them or did not practice their arts, but, on the contrary, it is just because Israel did believe in the power of these and practiced their arts, that the more zealous workers f o r the J a h v e religion opposed them so bitterly. 2 T h e great religious revival which Deuteronomy introduced indicates clearly that those nations believe in the diviners, but Israel must not, " f o r you, God will raise up a prophet from the midst of you " (Deut. 1 8 : 1 3 ff.). It was because these others were inspired by " strange gods " that they were forbidden, while Israel's prophets prophesied in the name of J a h v e and were, therefore, trustworthy. N o w to compare the prophet to the diviner may seem a little unfashionable, f o r evidently there is fashion in religion as well as in society. Says Andrew L a n g (p. 4 7 ) : " I f a minister of the kirk was clairvoyant or second-sighted that was proof of godliness and inspiration. But if a lay parishioner was second-sighted, he was in danger of the stake as a witch or wizard." In the 1

Bible for Learners, Vol. I, p. 220.

2

Cf. Bible for Learners, Vol. I, pp. 450-451, 5 3 2 ; Smend, pp. 89, 90,

154. 279. 194-

T H E PROPHET IN RELATION TO OTHER PROFESSIONS

55

same way the prophet of Israel who foretold the future, gave advice about the present, directed the religious and political affairs of the nation, and worked incessantly in behalf of the Jahve religion, was divinely inspired, while in other nations the one doing the same things was a diviner, a magician and all the rest of it. True it is, that as the prophets became more and more ethical and profound, those cruder forms of divination fell into disrepute and were finally eliminated from Israelitish and Judean prophetic activity. The Hebrew prophets, however, as I conceive it, are different only in the degree of their intuition, inspiration and profundity of religious and ethical thought, not different in kind from other prophets by whatever name designated. Knobel points out two kinds of diviners in the classic age. The one considered and practiced divination as a business and an art (re^i«:??). T o this class belong the interpreters of dreams ( o v e i p o f i a v T e i o v e i p o - r r o X o i ) , the augurers, interpreting the flight and songs of birds (oiwvofMivTeft, olwvoatea-Trot), and those who interpreted the will of God from the intestines and the liver of sacrifices. Indeed as Rohde points out, 1 only this phase of prophecy is known in the Homeric poems. " Aber die aus momentaner Begeisiterung kommende kunstlose und unlehrbare Wahrsagung ist den Homerischen Dichten nicht bekannt." Now Knobel does not believe that the Hebrew prophets were in any way related to this class of diviners (p. 22), and yet I believe they are very closely related to these in the early stages of Hebrew prophetic activity, for the very fact that there were schools of prophets in Israel shows that the art was learned and practiced in common by whole bands or schools of prophets. These schools and their practices fell into disrepute naturally with advancing civil1,1

Psyche," Vol. II, p. 56 fi.

56

T H E PSYCHOLOGY OF PROPHECY

ization and remarkable prophetic intelligence as we note f r o m the derogatory surprise: " Is Saul also among the prophets? " Amos's emphatic denial that he was " a son of a p r o p h e t " also shows that the former prophetic arts were not practiced by him. A n d the well-known fact that Elisha served E l i j a h as an apprentice serves his master seems to me to indicate that there was much of the prophetic art to be taught and learned in ancient Israel. It is often urged that the diviner uses his inspiration f o r particular, private ends, 1 that is, plies his vocation f o r pay and is thus distinguished f r o m the prophet. Even this distinction does not hold when we compare the diviner with the early Israelitish prophet. Samuel, too, is asked very trifling questions and receives pay f o r the answer, as when Saul asks about his father's lost asses and is worried that he has not enough money to pay the seer. T h e language used indicates that payment was the usual thing, not the exception ( I Sam. 9 : 7 - 8 ) . T h e second class of diviners, however, such as Tiresias, Kalchas and others are certainly very closely related to the H e b r e w prophets. 2 T o this class belong those men of all nations w h o did not learn prophecy as an art, but delivered their messages in a high state of nervous excitement, in ecstasy, and very often the unconscious utterances in the many different pathological conditions of the mind were taken as divine messages. T h e y were the raving sybils ( c r i f i v W a i ) the Trpo/j,dvT€i